It lets you see where viewers stopped watching. For example, within the first 10-seconds, 30-seconds, or 60-seconds (common drop-off points in online video). You get to watch your video while the timeline moves above it so you can view the exact moment when your audience retention dips or spikes.

Other (premium) streaming video services offered this before, but that involved committing to that service provider, which may not be in your budget, workflow, or long-term plan. Regardless, this feature is great. The main downside is that your videos with less than 300 or 600 (depending on date uploaded) won’t have these analytics available.

So get uploading and get some views so you can get some insight into YouTube’s Audience Retention.